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WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals explosive offense seems to be rounding into form, and on Friday theyll try to finish their longest homestand of the season on a positive note against a Buffalo Sabres squad inching toward the .500 mark.Alexander Ovechkin had his 16th career hat trick in a 4-3 win over the St, Louis Blues on Wednesday, but all parties agreed that it was Evgeny Kuznetsov that helped make a big difference for the Capitals offense.I hope hes back on his game and he has the confidence, Ovechkin said of his fellow countryman. It helps us when he plays well.Kuznetsov had gotten off to a slow start this season, but his goal and assist against the Blues gave him his second multi-point game of the year, and the 24-year-olds skill in the offensive zone will help boost Washingtons offensive attack. Kuznetsov now has three goals this season after leading Washington with 20 tallies last year.I thought (Kuznetsov) was dynamic -- he was really skating, Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after Washingtons win. That was the (Kuznetsov) that we all see that he can be. Hes been getting better and better. You can see he was going to have a breakout sooner or later as long as he stayed with the program, and he has.The Sabres are coming off a hard-fought, 2-1 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, but got some good news in the return of center Ryan OReilly, who rejoined the teams top line. He played 22:48 in his return, but may have also showed some rust after missing five games due to an oblique injury.I think at time he was a little extended in his energy level, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma told NHL.com after Wednesdays loss. Hes a great player, but he extended himself in a couple shifts and got stuck out there in the second, one of those long shifts and then the overtime he got stuck out again.The Sabres (7-8-5) have stressed getting back to even on the season, and will have another crack at it against the Capitals, who have been one of the top home teams this season at 7-3-0.It is a big goal of ours to get back to that .500 mark, but you come out and have a good effort against Washington and you consider it a really good week, Sabres captain Brian Gionta told reporters after Wednesdays game.Buffalos goalies, Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson, have combined for a .930 save percentage, good enough for second in the league. Washington netminder Braden Holtby has posted a 9-3-2 mark in his last 14 games dating back to last season, but said that its important that the Capitals play the full 60 minutes after giving up a couple of late goals against the Blues.The frustrating thing is that weve done it a few times this year, he said. Once it happens a few times, it becomes a habit. We have to address it and clamp down in third periods. Custom Cardinals Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cardinals Jerseys China . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. http://www.customcardinalsjersey.com/ . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Wholesale Custom Cardinals Shirts . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Custom Kyler Murray Jersey . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time ever, the Womens Table Tennis World Cup is coming to the U.S. -- bringing 20 top-ranked players from powerhouses as far afield as Singapore, Japan and Germany to Philadelphia.Its so cool, its absolutely amazing, said Lily Zhang, one of two Americans competing. Im so excited that we can finally host the World Cup. Thats huge, you know.Stakes are high. After the Olympics, the World Cup is one of the most prestigious titles in ping pong, and winners will split a $150,000 prize pool.I really want to win, said Elizabeta Samara, 27, a Romanian player seeded 10th in the tournament. Yes, I also want to enjoy, but enjoying not just for fun, you know?Among the competitors are Olympians, a 15-year-old from Japan, a Korean player coached by her mother since the age of six and eight players fresh to the tournament. They will be smashing ping pong balls at speeds of over 60 miles an hour. The players will be whittled down to one champion over six rounds and three days.China has won every World Cup since the tournament began 20 years ago -- but because of injuries -- it wont be participating. That means a differennt country will now have the opportunity to snag the title.dddddddddddd.I expect everybodys level of all the countries to be very close, said Lily Yip, coach of the American team. Maybe our U.S. team can win. You never know.Table tennis has enjoyed an uptick in popularity over the past few decades, but recently, player numbers have been stagnating, dropping from over 19 million in 2010 to around 16.5 million last year, according to USA Table Tennis.Many Americans dont understand that ping pong is actually a very difficult, very high-level sport, said Yip. They still think of it as a `basement sport.Tournament organizers are optimistic the World Cup will breathe new life into the game, proving its worthy of more than just a casual round or two.I think that if we can pack this place, well have no choice but to bring this tournament back here, said Gordon Kaye, CEO of USA Table Tennis, one of the sponsors of the event.Matches will be played over the weekend, with the final showdown scheduled for Sunday night. ' ' '